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Obama campaign upsets Irish with incorrect four-leafed clover t-shirt campaign

President Barack Obama irks Irish with four-leafed clover

By
ANTOINETTE KELLY,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Friday, February 24, 2012, 7:59 AM
Updated Friday, February 24, 2012, 1:53 PM

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The t-shirts available on his official website, are priced at $30
The t-shirts available on his official website, are priced at $30
Photo by BarackObama.com


Some Obama supporters are annoyed by the presence of a four-leafed clover on his “O’bama” t-shirts, which are on sale.

Dave Hunt, the owner of Coogan’s in Washington Heights, New York has been a long time supporter of the current president and was surprised to see a four leafed clover on the new t-shirts.

“That is my particular pebble in my shoe, when four-leaf clovers are interchanged with three-leafs,” the lifelong Democrat told The New York Times.

“People do it all the time. But if they were going to go to the trouble to do a T-shirt with the O and the apostrophe — which I think is very clever – someone on the staff should have gone to the trouble of finding out how many leaves to put on the clover.”

According to Irish history, St. Patrick used the three-leaf clover to illustrate the Holy Trinity to natives in Ireland.
___________
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____________
Last week the Obama campaign sent an email to its supporters informing them about the new design which was released to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day.

"St. Patrick's Day is around the corner. This year, show your support for a presidential candidate with Irish roots: Barack Obama,"

"You might recall that back in 2007, as he was on the campaign trail, the President found out about his Irish ancestry. Last year, he traveled with the First Lady to pay a visit to Moneygall, the town of 300 people where his great-great-great-grandfather was born, and jokingly told a crowd there: 'My name is Barack Obama, of the Moneygall Obamas, and I've come home to find the apostrophe we lost somewhere along the way.'"

When Hunt received the solicitation from the Obama campaign he sent the following response.

“Please,” he wrote, “a shamrock is three leaves not a Four leaf clover!!!”

The t-shirts available on his official website, are priced at $30.

​
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36 Comments

15 - 36 | See all comments

pilib04 | Feb 26, 2012, 09:09 PM EST
Like the President designed the tee shirt. I blame the moron who couldn't take the time to research what a shamrock looks like. I would have gotten a lot of the shirts for family members, but not really interested in the four leaf variety.

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arx754 | Feb 25, 2012, 05:19 PM EST
To any Irish "upset" about the t-shirt, I say, "Good for you! You obviously live a problem-free life to be able to waste your time on such a non-issue". PS - I'm going to get one of those t-shirts. Cool!

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GregShox | Feb 25, 2012, 12:45 PM EST
Incidentally, folks, shamrock is clover: Trifolium repens and Trifolium dubium. It's not a special kind of plant all on its own. It's just clover and it grows all over the world.

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ciaradexy | Feb 25, 2012, 12:28 PM EST
VernonC-His Irish roots are offset by his islamic roots? What nonsense! Hes an irish as most of the Americans on this site and as he's never been raised by a muslim or in an Islamic country so your comment is cr@p!

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kaydog1 | Feb 25, 2012, 12:19 PM EST
Obama has previously referred to himself as "the fourth Kennedy brother", but if it's a four-lobed SHAMROCK, then they ARE talking about him as the fourth member of the Holy Trinity. Ironic, to say the least, in view of his islamophilic behaviors and loyalties.

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VernonC | Feb 25, 2012, 12:15 PM EST
Whatever his Irish roots are they are offset by his Islamic roots and the long association with the minister Wright that Goddamns America that may have had Islamic roots himself, if not roots then a favorable opinion of the Islamic version invented/copied by America and Christian hating individuals.

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GregShox | Feb 25, 2012, 12:05 PM EST
Yes, the apostrophe would be very Irish except that it was dreamed up by some Brit as a way of turning Irish-language names into English. But apart from that, yes, it's Irish. Sort of.

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Bosey86 | Feb 25, 2012, 11:50 AM EST
Oh my - clover? How about it's a Shamrock....

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IrishDragoon | Feb 25, 2012, 10:57 AM EST
Good one, ktrush512! You too, faberm1!

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ktrush512 | Feb 25, 2012, 09:35 AM EST
Obama obviously thinks of himself as the 4th person of the Trinity.

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ciaradexy | Feb 25, 2012, 07:39 AM EST
Matty, hes about as 'Irish' as most of the Americans on this site.

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Matty O | Feb 24, 2012, 09:16 PM EST
Barack Hussein Obama is no more Irish than the gravel in my driveway.

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faberm1 | Feb 24, 2012, 08:36 PM EST
Give me the shirt 4 leaves and all. You can have the President.....I'll keep the shirt!

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TayandCake | Feb 24, 2012, 08:08 PM EST
bloody heck, must be a slow news day. The shirt looks great, where can i get one, 4 leaf SHAMROCK and all =^)

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Mairin67 | Feb 24, 2012, 06:37 PM EST
Still unbelievable that there are people who still don't understand that there is a difference between a shamrock and a four leaf clover..especially those who claim to be Irish....and I'm not talking about Obama here. The Irish culture does not come from the Lucky Charms cereal box which I'm sorry to say, most Americans get the connection from....the same as how most Americans forget the "Saint" in St. Patrick's day.

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